While the Warriors could use his volatility, Nate Robinson hopes to provide stability

Now that Nate Robinson story time is out of the way, it’s time to pinpoint exactly why the Golden State Warriors would go from targeting a 7-foot foul machine (Kyrylo Fesenko) to a 5-9 bowling ball of energy. Are the Warriors looking for anyone with NBA experience to fill a roster spot and the $1 million or so they have available, or is there a plan in place?

There’s been plenty of speculation (as there always is) about whether signing Robinson means a transaction of greater consequence will follow. Like a trade of Monta Ellis, for instance. Others are wondering if this is a statement of disappointment among the Warriors’ brass over the production so far from Klay Thompson, Ish Smith and/or Charles Jenkins.

While it’s fun to come up with theories, I don’t know if we can assume the Warriors look that deeply into things. From what we’ve seen so far, the Warriors take the “one game at a time” cliché and translate it to their own transactions. One player at a time, build a team that’s stronger tomorrow than it is today. Then if the player added actually weakens the squad (picture Al Thornton), cast that player aside and add someone else.

The Warriors have been two teams this year: a defense-focused reincarnation of their former selves that can win if the opposing team’s harassed into a bad shooting night, or a boring, offensively inefficient team searching for some sort of identity. My favorite explanation for the Robinson move (which still isn’t official, by the way) comes from Marcus Thompson II (emphasis mine):

Perhaps the biggest concern is how Robinson will effect team chemistry. Robinson is certainly a charismatic fella to say the least. Depending on the perspective, he’s either fun-loving or plays too much, passionate or selfish. Certainly, throwing him into the Warriors’ mellow and somewhat bland locker room will be interesting. Could be problematic.

The locker room was pretty mellow and bland last year too, with the only levity (or noise at all, besides David Lee talking nonstop) coming whenever Dorell Wright’s young son strutted around as if he owned the place.

This brings us to Mark Jackson, a passionate person who was known during his playing days for toughness. A wallflower he is not.

I think Jackson looks at his team and sees a group of nice players who are eager to please, but are badly in need of a spark. Not that the Warriors aren’t trying or playing hard, but the lack of aggression and fight in that blowout loss to the Sixers had to be alarming. Same with how terrible they looked without Monta Ellis in Phoenix. Some more from MT2:

Another reason: I’m told Mark Jackson is a fan.

He is almost the opposite of how Jackson was as a player. But Jackson, a former Knick, probably saw a lot of Robinson while he was with the Knicks. No question, Robinson was a favorite in New York for those years.

From what I’m told, Jackson likes Robinson’s toughness and energy. Golden State can certainly use some of that.

Here’s another thing Jackson might like, besides the challenge of taming a player who’s seen by many as too immature, too boisterous, perhaps even unstable: Robinson seems to have found religion, or at least he’s more vocal about it than ever before. While my wife’s story from Robinson’s days at UW tells a somewhat different tale from his younger days, if you take a look at Robinson’s Twitter timeline lately it’s laced with references to God. It’s all part of Robinson’s image rehabilitation since taking a buyout from the Oklahoma City Thunder (and getting hammered in Shaq’s recent book as someone who cares too much about publicity), something he seems quite serious about in an interview with Sam Amick:

It is, Robinson vows, time to turn the page on the past and forge a new chapter.

“One team’s trash is another team’s treasure,” he said. “With whatever team that I land on they know they’re going to get everything out of me. I’m going to come to practice early — first one there, last one to leave.

“I work hard every day, practice every day and play hard in games whether it’s one minute, 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 40 minutes. … I’m going to always cheer for my teammates, as everybody sees all the time. I’ll be the first guy off the bench, congratulating my guys or picking them up off the floor — doing everything a player is supposed to do.”

Don’t be surprised to see the Warriors take on several reclamation projects like Robinson during Jackson’s tenure. Jackson seems like someone who considers apathy the worst possible sin on the court and in the locker room. Remember, as pious as Jackson is, he wasn’t against celebrating on court with a little shimmy every now and then. To build something in Golden State that people want to be a part of, the Warriors need to have more fun. Robinson will certainly help there.

Jackson also has the confidence to believe he’s the one who can get the 17 ppg Robinson back after a couple lost years, especially if Robinson’s heart and mind are ready to put his well-known fire and passion to good use. And even if those game-changing, instant offense days are over for Robinson, at least he’ll bring some attitude and fight to a team and bench that’s spent the season’s first five games quietly chatting amongst themselves, almost afraid to make too much noise.

About the Author

BASG (Steve Berman) and his wife started Bay Area Sports Guy in 2008, and now it's the No. 1 independent website covering Bay Area sports. You can follow him @BASportsGuy and on Facebook.

Another loss to the Spurs, and with the Lakers, Heat, and Magic coming up, its going to be a long week for Warriors fans...What happened to Dorrell Wright this season?!? I remember last season when the Knicks acquired Carmelo, Fitz said on his show that he would rather have Dorrell because he was cheaper! WTH kind of thinking is that?!? Explains why this team has made the playoffs only ONCE in almost 20 years...

Curry rolled his ankle again..no pressure.
Like I told you all on BASG last week-once an ankle is that shot-its shot forever. No amount of Warrior lies can change that.
Same for Gore and his hip..I told you...

Matt Steinmetz feeling desperate:"Nate Robinson is the best basketball player on Earth,not in the NBA right now".
How many times have we heard a new Warrior is a found diamond...then a year later he's cheap rusty tin?..cant give em away?

As said in the TMZ post, I like this move on several fronts...
1) If Curry’s ankle issues require extended time off, the Warriors have a semi-serviceable replacement.
2) If the Warriors trade either Curry or Ellis they have a player who can immediately step into the void. Picture Klay Thompson or Ish Smith stepping into that void. Yes, kind of scary.
3) Nate Robinson was a player who played along a consistently contributing David Lee. Maybe he can help reinvigorate that lost player, as well.
I listened to D. Bruce eviscerate this move all day today, but I think he fails to see the incremental positives it creates. I am no Warriors apologist (cough, cough… Bob Fitzgerald… eh hem!) but at the very least he brings in some needed experience to cadre to current unseasoned backups Ish Smith and Klay Thompson.
And as BASG points out, anytime Jackson sees lethargy and under-performance he now has both a symbol and a spark to inject into the lineup.
Although this is only a short-term fix to help fill needed areas, it is a step in the right direction to help change long-term "Big Picture" culture issues. Play hard, even though you are undersized, and you can succeed.

ABOUT BAY AREA SPORTS GUY

Giants, 49ers, Warriors, Raiders, Athletics, Sharks, Stanford or Cal – BASG has it covered. Bay Area Sports Guy is the sports guy for all sports guys (and girls), writing about Bay Area sports and the local sports media since 2008. BASG is the largest independent blog covering Bay Area sports, and took People’s Choice in CBS San Francisco’s "Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011."